Dawn High School
by Missing Middle
Summary: Modern-AU fanfic for Mobile Legends. Follow the adventures of 17-year-old Zilong, an overachieving student at Dawn High School, his best friend the bad-boy Alucard, and other heroes re-imagined as modern-day characters. (Includes Miya, Alice, Freya, Fanny, etc.)
1. Chapter 1

Summary

 **Modern-AU** **fanfic** **for Mobile Legends**. Take a peek at the life of 17-year-old Zilong, an overachieving student at Dawn High School, his best friend the bad-boy Alucard, and many other heroes re-imagined as modern-day characters.

I hope you enjoy this first chapter! :)

* * *

 **Dawn High School:** **Chapter 1**

 _Zilong stood on the mountain-top gazing into the twinkling amber eyes of his dream girl._

 _"I'll go first," she said, strapping herself to the harness of the zipline that stretched across the valley. With a confident smile she leaped off the cliff, whizzing through the air at tremendous speed, her orange hair billowing in the wind. Zilong's heart thumped wildly as he watched her disappearing into the distance._

 _And then it was his turn. As he glanced up at the steel cables above him, and then down at the river hundreds of feet below, his mouth went dry. Keep calm, he reminded himself. He knew he could do it if he wanted to. He could overcome his fears, just for her._

 _"Ready?" the guide gave a final check as he fastened the clips. He nodded, and with a deep breath, he ran and jumped over the edge, feeling himself freefalling for a moment before the harness caught him on the cable. And then he was flying; he felt the wind whipping through his hair and the adrenaline pumping through him. It really wasn't that scary after all, he was going to tell her …_

RRINGGGG!

The alarm sounded, blasting his dream to bits. Zilong's eyes snapped open as he slowly came to the realization that he was in his bed. It was still dark outside, without a hint of dawn. He rolled over lazily and grabbed his alarm clock. _What the heck?_ He groaned before closing his eyes again. It was way too early to be up.

Barely a second had passed when he was jolted awake again by a loud banging on his door.

"Zhao Zilong! Get up! Get your ass out right now!" It was the booming voice of his dad, who ran his life like a military commander. Zilong knew that if he didn't obey this instant, the consequences would be dire.

And then he suddenly remembered. He had underperformed in the last exams, slipping from his usual top two or three position in class, and as punishment, he was to rise an hour earlier every morning. With a sigh, Zilong dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

After he had gotten dressed in his red shirt and jeans and had finished his porridge breakfast, Zilong reached for his bag and took out his Chinese history textbook. He was supposed to spend the extra hour revising his weakest subject. Flipping open the book, he tried to concentrate on it while his mom hovered around nearby.

"Remember, don't talk to that red-haired girl," she started nagging. "I don't want you hanging out with her."

"Okay," he mumbled, trying to memorize the details of the battles during the Three Kingdoms period, the names of the generals and all that. His mom didn't allow him to date in high school, wanting him to focus on his studies, his leadership roles in the student council and activities like the marching band, where he was the drum major.

Zilong raked a hand over his thick brown hair, annoyed at the lack of freedom in his life. His mom especially disapproved of Fanny, reason being that the girl was into extreme outdoor sports and if he joined her he would break his bones. He thought his mom was ridiculous – he was a guy, for goodness's sake! But he also knew it was futile to get into an argument with her over this.

His dad dropped him off at the entrance of Dawn High School, and when he got off the car, the first person he saw at the gates was his best buddy.

"Hey," Alucard greeted him. The blond stood slightly taller at six feet, and his gray leather jacket stank of cigarette smoke.

"Hey, Alu," Zilong said as they bro-fisted. He had no idea why he could get along with someone who was the total opposite of him. Alucard was one of the baddest bad boys in school, but Zilong knew he only looked like that on the outside. Plus he knew all about Alucard's history of being abused as a child and growing up in a foster home.

One thing Zilong knew for sure: his mom would flip out if she knew he was hanging out with someone like Alucard. Just as she would with Fanny. Maybe that was precisely why he chose to hang out with the blond, because he brought out the inner rebel within him.

After putting away their things in the lockers, they strolled down the hallway, with Zilong feeling a little strange having Alucard walking alongside him towards the classrooms instead of sneaking off elsewhere as he usually did.

"You're seriously coming to class today?" he asked.

"Yeah. Only for Biology class," Alucard grinned.

"Oh… right, I forgot," Zilong smirked. He suddenly remembered that Alucard had a crush on the new Biology teacher, Miss Miya who was fresh out of college and just four years older than him. Before this, he'd never heard of Alucard being interested in any girl. And the first one who got into his radar had to be a teacher. That was Alucard for you. As long as it was forbidden, he had to get his hands on it.

They had reached the classroom, and the teacher wasn't there yet. The first period was homeroom, followed by Biology. Zilong settled himself in his usual spot at the front row right in front of the teacher's desk and Alucard sat beside him. It was unusual for the blond to take this position, but he knew it was only because of Miss Miya.

Zilong glanced around. Most of the twenty students were present. Balmond and Hilda, the male and female beefcakes of the class, were having an arm-wrestling match with some students watching and cheering behind them. Harley was playing cards with Lolita at one corner and both were laughing loudly. The ruckus was clearly annoying a small-sized boy wearing black round glasses, perched in his chair the middle of the room. The kid looked no more than ten years old. But everyone knew he had been to high school more than ten times. He sat there with his eyes glued to his phone, thumbing it furiously. Zilong could see he was getting more pissed off by the minute like a ticking time bomb. If he lost the game he was playing, Zilong knew what would happen.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALL OF YOUUUU!"

Yup, Diggie had finally exploded. He had apparently lost his game and was majorly pissed off. Everyone stopped what they were doing, stunned at his outburst. A crack appeared in the window.

The silence lasted for all but two seconds, and then the chaos resumed. Now Balmond was raising his bushy brows at the rare sight of Alucard, teeth bared in a combative smile. The bodybuilder's massive two-hundred-pound frame was stacked with rippling muscles. As he sauntered over, Zilong's stomach clenched in discomfort. Something was going to happen.

"Yo Alu, what's up?" Balmond sneered. "Demons finally stopped screwing your mom?"

The taunting clearly worked. Banging his fist on the table, Alucard shot up like a tightly wound spring. There was a glint of steel, and, to his horror, Zilong realized his friend had whipped out a knife from his pocket.

"Say that again," Alucard threatened, pointing the blade at Balmond's face.

 _Ugh, I cannot believe this,_ Zilong grimaced. _What the hell is he doing?_ "Dude, put that knife away," he urged.

Alucard ignored him, tightly gripping the handle of the sharp, shiny blade. Balmond narrowed his eyes and flexed his muscles, refusing to back down.

Just then, Zilong noticed a large, plump man outside the classroom, wearing a black jacket that couldn't close around his bulging belly. He had dark circles around his eyes which made him resemble a panda, and he was ambling in a leisurely manner towards the classroom while shoving a bun into his mouth.

"Mr Akai's here," he nudged his friend urgently.

Alucard was quick to notice this, and slipped the knife back into his pocket just as their homeroom teacher stepped in.

But Balmond didn't seem to care. "Your mom -" he continued to sneer at the blond.

With a snarl, Alucard lunged at Balmond and they grappled.

"Hey, break it up, you two!" Mr Akai commanded sternly, hands on his huge hips.

The two guys didn't seem to hear him and continued fighting.

Mr Akai raised his voice. "I SAID BREAK IT UP!" he thundered, throwing his half-eaten bun at Balmond and finally getting their attention. "Damn it don't make me push you from one end of the classroom to the other with my butt!"

Zilong stifled a laugh. Mr Akai wasn't making an empty threat – he had done it before, had indeed pushed a guy from one end of the classroom to the other with his butt. The chubby teacher who usually looked relaxed, as though he sat around stuffing his face all day, was in fact a highly-skilled martial arts coach who was not to be messed with. When triggered, he was an unstoppable hurricane of a man.

Everyone hurriedly got back to their seats and Mr Akai began taking attendance. Zilong's mind turned to Fanny. _She's late,_ he thought worriedly.

Just at that very instant, the girl rushed in from the back door and plonked herself on one of the back seats. Her eyes twinkled at him like they did in his dream, her cheeks were flushed and she was slightly breathless. She wore jeans and a sky-blue T-shirt with the words, _free yourself_. Zilong couldn't take his eyes off her. The last time he had gone out with her was a while ago, and they'd gone rock-wall climbing. Pouting her lips in a playful smile, Fanny swept her bright orange hair into a ponytail and put on a pair of glasses, which he knew she wore for fun. She looked so unbearably cute.

Zilong attracted girls naturally. He'd quite a number professing their love for him, sending him notes or just straight up asking him out. But he never knew what to do with them. He didn't even know what to say around Fanny.

"Well, Alucard," Mr Akai remarked. "You're coming to class more often now, and that's a good thing. Keep it up."

Zilong chortled. After he was done with attendance-taking, Mr Akai lounged behind his desk and produced a plastic bowl of noodles from somewhere. He dug his chopsticks into the noodles and slurped them down.

The bell went, and Mr Akai left the room.

Miss Miya was already waiting at the door. She was dressed very properly, her slim figure wrapped in a sapphire knee-length skirt and a white blouse with flowy long sleeves. Her long, silvery hair was pulled up in a ponytail and her metallic blue eyes made her seem cold and aloof, but Zilong knew she was just nervous. New, young teachers usually gave off that vibe.

She started the lesson. They were doing plant biology, which Zilong found rather boring, but he forced himself to pay attention. Alucard was paying rapt attention, of course, but not to the contents.

"Did you know that the largest flower in the world is a parasite?" Miss Miya asked the class.

"What's a parasite?" Alucard looked at her, brows furrowed. Zilong couldn't help but wince in embarrassment for his friend, who failed nearly every subject.

Miss Miya pursed her lips and began to explain patiently. "It's, well, something that attaches itself to a host body..."

"Can I be your parasite then?" Alucard loudly requested, casting an earnest gaze at the teacher.

A few amused snickers arose from their classmates. Zilong slapped his forehead in exasperation. "NO, Alu, that's not how you use that word."

Miss Miya was looking at her textbook, and apparently hadn't heard his question. "Sorry, what did you say just now?" she gazed intently at Alucard.

"Um, nothing."

"Something idiotic," Harley offered.

"I can help you," Diggie raised a hand.

Everything seemed to freeze for a brief moment, followed by what felt like a flash of lightning.

"Can I be your parasite?" Alucard loudly requested, casting an earnest gaze at the teacher.

A few amused snickers arose from their classmates. Zilong slapped his forehead in exasperation. "NO, Alu, that's not how you use that word."

Miss Miya was looking at her textbook, and apparently hadn't heard his question. "Sorry, what did you say just now?" she gazed intently at Alucard.

"Um, nothing."

"Something idiotic," Harley offered.

Diggie chuckled. "There, that's what he said just now."

Alucard fumed, making a strangling gesture at Diggie. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

Miss Miya tilted her head in puzzlement. "Um… may I know what just happened?"

"I just reversed time so you could hear what he said just now," Diggie grinned.

"Oh?" Miss Miya stepped back in surprise. Realizing that the class was awaiting her reply, she hesitantly tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. After a moment's pause she cleared her throat regained her composure. "Well, a parasite is an organism that lives inside the body of another organism, and sort of sucks the life out of it," she explained. "So, to your question, Alucard, my answer is no."

"Aw," Lolita said amid giggles.

Miss Miya continued the lesson, and Diggie proceeded to answer every single question, correctly. The teacher's eyes widened in amazement. "Diggie," she gasped. "You're really clever."

"No, he's just an annoying piece of shit," Alucard cursed under his breath.

"Uhmm, Let me explain," Harley announced on behalf of the class. Taking a deep breath, he said. "Diggie has this, er, condition, where every time he hits twenty years old, he would physically go back to being a baby, and he'd attend preschool, elementary school and high school all over again. And he's already gone through high school a number of times. That's why he knows all the answers."

"Really?" Miss Miya frowned, trying to process the explanation, and then a look of sympathy came over her face. "How does it feel, Diggie? It must be awfully lonely."

"See," Alucard nudged Zilong with a whisper. "That's why I like her so much. She looks stuck-up but she really has a heart of gold."

"Okay that's enough, Alu, you're making me cringe," Zilong plugged his ears.

The end of biology lesson was marked by the sounds of clapping from the back of the classroom. Zilong turned around; he hadn't noticed there was someone standing at the back, observing the lesson all this while. It was another science teacher, a senior one named Miss Alice. She wore thick make-up as usual and was decked out in a red and royal-blue dress. For some reason, Alucard hated this teacher, while Zilong simply thought she was creepy. This was because Miss Alice, or Madam Alice - whatever she was supposed to be called - had the appearance of a twenty-five year old, but she had been around in the school for at least thirty years. Which meant her real age was around fifty. And the secret to her youthful looks remained a well-kept secret. Alucard had made some crazy speculations to which Zilong had responded with 'dude what the heck'.

Miss Alice sashayed up to Miss Miya and began praising her effusively.

"Well done, Miya! Ten out of ten! That was a fantastic lesson! You managed it all superbly!" Her sugary voice sounded a little insincere, but that was to Zilong.

"Really?" Miss Miya smiled shyly.

"Yes, why would I lie? You handled it very well, even when that student talked trash to you. Oh, Miya, you are indeed a rising star in the teaching profession! Come, I'll buy you lunch!" Miss Alice put her arm around the younger teacher's shoulder affectionately.

"I wasn't talking trash to her," Alucard simmered indignantly, glaring at the senior teacher in disgust.

* * *

 **(End of Chapter 1)**

That's all for now. Do leave a review and let me know if you'd like me to continue!

Heroes Featured In This Chapter

Zilong

Alucard

Akai

Diggie

Fanny

Miya

Balmond

Harley

Hilda

Lolita

Alice


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! I'm glad to see the positive reviews for the first chapter.

To **Guest** : In the re-imagining of the heroes, there will be some reference to their skills lore or quotes, where appropriate. As this is a modern setting, Zilong won't be running around with a spear, and there are no elves and orcs (Miya and Balmond are humans). Other non-humans may appear as humans. The robots will probably stay the same.

To **Silver Diadems** : Miya and Estes are cousins in this story (you can have the sole privilege of writing this pairing and I am still eagerly awaiting it!). In my story, Estes is a doctor and will appear in a hospital setting with Rafaela and Angela (if I get that far…)

And now, on to the chapter~

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 **Chapter 2: Clubs and Societies Fair**

The field was quiet, the band members alert and awaiting their director's cue. The audience watched in rapt attention as the eighty-strong ensemble raised their instruments - trumpets, tubas, trombones, clarinets, drums – and began to play and march at the same time. With well-rehearsed precision, the students arranged and rearranged themselves into various formations, not a note or step out of place.

Zilong stood in the middle of the field, dressed smartly in his red drum major uniform. With a salute, he began to march and twirl the long, silver mace he held in his gloved hands. He could sense that all eyes were on him, but he wasn't nervous, his mind instead wandering off slightly to his other duties for the day. As a Student Council member, he also had to help out with the running of the fair introducing the new students to Dawn High School's various clubs, societies and sports.

Even before he was born, Zilong's parents had named him after an actual military general in Chinese history. They had great ambitions for him, and once he started school, they pushed him to take up all sorts of leadership roles. Zilong didn't mind the extra responsibilities, but sometimes, he secretly wished he was Alucard, running around doing weird things and breaking the rules.

 _Focus!_ He reminded himself. It was time for his signature trick. Taking a deep breath, Zilong tossed his gold-topped mace up as high as he could. As it flew up and rotated a couple of times in the air, he quickly did a somersault and came up just in time to catch the falling mace.

The spectators cheered and screamed. He hoped Fanny was one of them, though he couldn't see her.

When the performance ended, Zilong rushed off to put away the equipment and get changed out of his uniform. He strode out of the changing room in T-shirt and jeans and headed back towards the sports field.

Feeling hopeful, he half-ran, half-walked towards the artificial climbing wall beside the field. To his joy, Fanny was there, talking to a new guy who looked like he was interested in the Outdoor Adventure Club. It took a few minutes for the redhead to notice Zilong, but the moment she did, she skipped over to him with a dazzling smile.

"Hey!" She had lipstick on and her shock of fiery hair made his heart burst into flames. Her figure-hugging sky-blue tee accentuated her curves, and her shorts showed off her toned thighs.

"Hello," Zilong said, his heartbeat speeding up.

She gave him the thumbs-up sign. "You were awesome!"

"Thanks," Zilong felt warmth in his face and rubbed the back of his head shyly. "Er…"

Throwing a backward glance, Fanny winked at him and said, "Gotta go! Talk to ya later!" before zipping back to the rock wall. _Oh well,_ Zilong shrugged. He'd try to catch her for a proper conversation when they both were less busy.

His eyes swept across the field. The band had cleared and the area was now being used as a shooting range for the Archery Club. The students were setting up the target boards, and among them was Miss Miya, who was in charge of the club. The young teacher wore a sleeveless azure top, black tights, and a white cap over her long, silvery ponytail.

Out of curiosity, Zilong went closer to take a look, as he'd never really seen the school's archers in action. Miss Miya's back was facing him, and it looked like she was doing a demonstration, nocking an arrow to her bow. She assumed her stance before the target placed thirty meters away, her posture upright, bringing her bow to full draw. Despite her slim figure, the muscles in her arms and shoulders were well-defined. She released, the arrow sailed through the air and hit the inner red ring. A student handed her another arrow, she fired again and hit the outer gold ring. The third time, she hit the X dead center.

"Not bad at all," a moustachioed man in a brown coat and hat ambled up to her and nodded encouragingly. "Just remember to relax your fingers," he said in a heavily accented voice. "Don't squeeze the bow too hard or you'll twist it and it will affect your shot."

Lowering her bow, Miss Miya gasped in surprise when she saw the man. "Mr Yi? Is that really you, Mr Yi? I heard you'll be coaching our club. What an honor to have you here!"

"Ah, you flatter me," the bearded man returned her a polite smile. He looked like he was in his forties.

"Who the fuck is that?" Alucard's gruff voice sounded beside Zilong.

Zilong jumped, startled at his buddy's sudden appearance. "You mean him?" he gestured at the man talking to Miss Miya. "That's Mr Yi Sun Shin, a retired Olympic archer." And then, noticing the blond's grumpy expression, added with a chuckle, "Don't worry. He's way too old for her."

"She looks like she's really impressed with him."

"The Koreans dominate archery. You should know this part at least," Zilong jabbed his arm playfully. "If you're serious about Miss Miya."

"Well…" Alucard raked a hand through his tousled mop of platinum-blonde hair, an uneasy frown between his brows. "I've been meaning to apologize to her, actually."

"For what?"

"For that parasite question the other day. She must have thought I was harassing her, because she's been frosty to me ever since."

"Good luck to you then," Zilong shrugged, amused that Alucard had come close to slashing Balmond's face with a knife the other day, and yet, when it came to his crush, he became as timid as a hamster.

The blond nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, I need your help to ask her out. Can you be my wingman?"

"Um…." Zilong hesitated, uncomfortable at the thought. "Dude, she's a _teacher_. And do you even have enough money to date her?"

"I do," Alucard replied simply, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket while admiring his crush from a distance. "I'm working at night."

"At the gas station? Does that pay enough?"

"Nope, I'm working at Kagura's now. I get tipped a lot there. That was how I managed to save up for a motorcycle."

"The umbrella shop?" Zilong frowned in confusion, unable to wrap his head around the idea of Alucard getting tipped for selling umbrellas.

"Kagura's is a sushi bar," he gave an impatient sigh. "You need to get out more."

"Oh," Zilong said, still puzzled. The place really looked like it sold umbrellas instead of sushi, from the outside at least. Whatever it was, he was glad Alucard wasn't spending all his nights drinking or getting into street fights like in the past.

Their gaze travelled back to Miss Miya again. This time she was coaching a maroon-haired girl, who was taking aim with her bow and arrow.

"Use your back muscles, Irithel," she said. "It's less tiring than using your arm muscles."

The girl named Irithel nodded and pulled her bowstring back.

"So are you going to help or not?" Alucard pressed on.

"Sorry bro, I'm busy now," Zilong declined. "Besides I'm totally the wrong person to ask." Arms folded across his chest, he merely stood and waited in anticipation as Alucard tried to work up enough courage to 'one-v-one' Miss Miya.

It seemed he couldn't. "Forget it then," Alucard muttered and stomped off the other way instead.

Zilong smirked under his breath.

Just then, a bunch of students – two girls and a nerdy-looking guy - ran up to him. "Hi! We need help!" The girls chirped, probably recognizing the words 'Student Council' on his T-shirt. "Where's the library?"

"The library's quite far from here," Zilong replied. "I could take y'all there."

"Oh that's so nice of you!" The girls then started giggling and whispering while stealing glances at Zilong. One of them was cute and had a nice figure, and the other one was a little plump. He wasn't new to girls behaving like this around him, and tried to ignore it as he led the way to the library.

Inadvertently, his mind drifted back to the time he'd gotten to know Alucard, two years ago…

 _The sun was already setting. He'd just finished a particularly intensive band practice, gotten changed and was getting ready to go home when he spotted the security guard, Mr Roger, in a heated argument with a student._

 _"No sleeping in the library!" Mr Roger growled._

 _Alucard explained he'd been locked out of his foster home and had nowhere to spend the night. Feeling sorry for him, Zilong took him out and treated him to fast food that evening._

 _The strange thing was, throughout it all, Alucard never said a single 'thank you'. Instead, the only sentence that came out of his mouth, just before they parted ways, was: "I'll never be your friend."_

 _Zilong's jaw dropped at his shocking rudeness. "Who wants to be your friend, anyway?" he'd spat back, vowing never to help Alucard again. "You're weird and you stink."_

 _A year went by, with them treating each other like strangers. One afternoon after school, Zilong was trying to stop Balmond from extorting money from a kid. It wasn't like he wanted to play the hero; he simply couldn't stand bullying of any form. The notorious school gangster then turned on him and overwhelmed him with his sheer size and strength, slamming him to the ground. Just when Zilong thought he was going to be beaten into a pulp, Alucard suddenly appeared and kicked Balmond in the nuts._

 _That was one more thing he found out: Alucard was never afraid to play dirty if needed._

 _Even though what he did landed him in detention and raised him up the ranks as Balmond's number one enemy._

Zilong and his entourage had just reached the building of the school's main office, when a tall and lanky figure whizzed past them on a skateboard. The new students stopped and gawked when they realized the skateboarder wasn't a kid, but an adult with graying hair, wearing an electric-blue long coat.

"Haven't you guys seen him before?" Zilong asked the students. "That's Mr Gord, Deputy Principal and Head of Discipline. We call him The Gord."

"I've never seen a deputy principal who rides on a skateboard," the guy remarked in amazement.

"Well, here's one for you. Just remember this rule: Do not piss him off," Zilong advised.

Mr Gord skidded to a halt when he'd reached the front gates where there was a bunch of tardy students trying to slip in. He got off his skateboard and crossed his arms, towering over the students like a stone statue.

"How dare you be this late!" the discipline master's voice echoed over from the school gates which was some distance away.

The students flinched, seeming genuinely afraid of him. Zilong had no idea why. Maybe it was his permanently scowling face, which looked as hard and rough as cracked cement. As a goody-two-shoes, Zilong himself had never gotten into Mr Gord's bad books. But Alucard had, more than once, and had claimed that Mr Gord used electric shock as punishment. Zilong thought that was ridiculous.

"STOP PISSING ME OFF! Or you'll regret it!" Mr Gord roared. The sky seemed to tremble at his anger.

"Let's get moving," Zilong urged the new students, turning away from the scene. Soon, they'd passed by the clock tower and reached the building that housed the library on the second floor. They climbed up the steps and pushed open the library's doors.

The first sight that greeted them was a bunch of students sitting on the couches, playing games on their phones.

The librarian, Miss Natalia, was busy at the reception desk, her gray hair falling over her hooded midnight-blue jacket. A few seniors were at the tables and computer terminals doing work. To the left of the study area, was a conference room with long windows. It was empty at the moment.

The five kids playing their mobile games on the couches were whispering to one another, their voices getting more excited by the second.

"Hey let's get the lord now!"

"Not now, stupid. It's too obvious. They can see us."

"Come on, hurry up! Let's go!"

"No! Back off!"

"Guys… er…"

"Noooo you idiot! You got us killed!" There was a chorus of dismayed groans, drawing annoyed looks from the seniors who had been trying to focus on their work.

The gamers didn't realize how loud they were getting until the librarian's stern voice cut through the air like a dagger. Glancing up, they saw Miss Natalia standing over them and glaring at them through her glasses perched on her nose.

"Shush!" she ordered sharply. "Silence in the library!"

The kids quietened down, sneaking a few guilty looks at one another.

Zilong turned and whispered to the new students beside him. "If you're interested in joining the library club, you can speak to Miss Natalia."

They thanked him, and he left the library.

Walking out of the building, he bumped into Alucard again. This time, the blond had a rather disgusted look on his face, the same one he had had after biology class the other day.

"She's running a blood drive! That creepy woman is," he exclaimed with an urgency that Zilong thought was overdramatic.

Zilong knew, without asking, that he was referring to Madam Alice. Alucard never called her by her name, only 'that creepy woman'.

"And what is wrong with that?" Zilong mumbled absently, pulling out his schedule from his pocket and peering into it.

Alucard continued his rant. "I just found out she has her own fucking blood bank too! You know, I'm pretty sure she takes the blood for herself. She drinks it like water, or juice. Maybe she even bathes in it."

"Are you nuts? So you think she's a vampire? Why is she walking around in broad daylight then?"

"Sanguinarians," Alucard replied without hesitation. "These are real people who feed on blood. There are thousands of them in our country."

Zilong had almost forgotten the fact that Alucard was in the school's Occult and Paranormal Society. This was the only other reason he came to school, besides Miss Miya. The society was full of weirdos, goths and rebels who had special interests in ghosts, vampires and anything paranormal.

"Hey Alu," Zilong looked at him earnestly. "I just realized what your name is spelled backwards."

Alucard rolled his eyes.

"It's ... DRACULA!" Zilong declared. "Maybe that explains why you're into blood drinking?"

"Dude, I'm not the one into blood drinking!" Alucard said defensively. "And I'm serious here! That creepy woman keeps running those blood drives. She tells the students it's for charity and helping sick people, which is a fucking lie! Plus the fact that she looks so young despite her age! If you put two and two together - "

"Well she could have had tons of plastic surgery," Zilong reasoned. "Dude, this isn't 'putting two and two together'. This is what I call a 'loony theory'."

Undaunted by Zilong's dismissive attitude, Alucard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm gonna sign up for the blood donation, and see what happens."

"Go ahead," Zilong said. He'd never donated blood, but he knew that Madam Alice took the students to the downtown branch of the Dawn Blood Center, where the actual drawing of blood took place. "Tell me what you find out."

"Wanna join me?"

"Sorry, I'm busy."

"Busy?" Alucard sneered. "What else do you have to do besides staring at Fanny's boobs and spelling my name backwards?"

"I have lots to do, dumbass!" Zilong snapped, pushing the blond out of his way. "And besides, I'm not the nut who's obsessed with not one, but two biology teachers."

"I'm not obsessed with that freak," Alucard retorted. "Fine, since you don't believe me. Tell ya what, let's have a bet."

"What kind of bet?" Zilong narrowed his eyes.

"If I'm wrong about the creepy woman, then I will willingly be your slave for the whole year. I'll do whatever you ask me to do."

"Uh… okay, but…"

"But if I do manage to find evidence that she drinks blood," Alucard smacked his lips deviously. "Then you'll have to be _my slave_. Up for the challenge?"

Zilong took a step back and grimaced. Alucard was always coming up with stupid ideas like that. In truth, the thought of being at his back and call made him shudder and his stomach lurch, but the blond probably just wanted him to help him woo Miss Miya, which wasn't that difficult.

Anyway, Zilong didn't think he was going to lose - Alucard's theory was too far-fetched. As for the idea of Alucard being _his_ slave... hmm, that sounded like fun, Zilong thought as the wheels of his mind spun with imagination.

* * *

 **(End of Chapter 2)**

 **Looking forward to reading your review!**

Heroes featured:

Zilong (student)

Alucard (student)

Fanny (student)

Irithel (student)

Miya (teacher, archery coach)

Yi Sun Shin (archery coach)

Roger (flashback - security guard)

Gord (deputy principal)

Natalia (librarian)

Alice (biology teacher)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! It's been a long time since i updated this. I think there might be a few people who're still interested to read this. Enjoy!

The chapter includes Kimmy, who's one of my mains. Freya's in as well.

Mobile Legends is property of Moonton.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Dragon Dance**

 _"Alucard! Get me a pizza and a coke," Zilong ordered, lounging on his sofa in front of the TV, with the remote in one hand. "Sausage, mushrooms, black olives, extra cheese."_

 _"Yes, boss!"_

 _"Alucard, help me clear out that pile of old kiddy books from the cupboard in my room!"_

 _"Yes, boss!"_

 _"And Alucard, don't forget my homewor—" Wait, no. That was a bad idea. Telling Alucard to do his homework was like getting a donkey to perform brain surgery; it was going to turn out a complete disaster. "Just get all the books out of my bag," he ordered instead._

A dreamy grin crept across Zilong's face as he imagined Alucard at his beck and call – the agreed consequence of losing the bet they had made. Slave for an entire year. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he relished the thought. And since Zilong was a born leader, it would be inevitable that Alucard would end up under his command. He was pretty sure that would be the outcome, as the blond had absolutely nothing to back up his ridiculous claims.

"What's with that shit-eating grin on your face? Fantasizing about Fanny again eh?" The voice and elbow of his buddy nudged him back to reality. They had reached the chemistry lab, and the students filed inside and took their places at their benches, where they were to work in pairs.

"Nope," Zilong muttered, slightly annoyed at the mention of the redhead. For the past six months, he had been trying unsuccessfully to talk to Fanny, but the hyperactive girl was always on the go, and he never got anything more than a 'hi' and bye' before she zipped off elsewhere. He was seriously considering giving up on her.

He shot a glance at the wall clock; five minutes to the start of the lesson. Turning to Alucard, he whispered. "Remember our bet? All that stuff you said about Madam Alice? I was thinking of what would happen if you lost."

The blond's jaw was set in determination. "I will not lose," he said. "I will prove that the creepy woman's been keeping her looks young by drinking human blood."

"Bold of you," Zilong remarked. He never ceased to marvel at how his friend did and said things that bordered on the insane. "Well then, it's time to stop talking and get things done. Let's give you a deadline."

"Sure," Alucard replied gamely, straightening his jacket.

"You have three months."

"Three months it shall be," Alucard said without missing a beat.

"Well then, prepare for a year of slavery," Zilong smirked.

"We'll see."

"Hey, look at what I've got!" There was a commotion behind them. Five students were crowding around a pink-haired girl proudly waving a shiny phone in a gold case encrusted with sparkling gems and crystals. Zilong leaned forward for a closer peek. The phone itself was the newest, most expensive brand in the market.

It surprised him, as the owner of the phone, Nana, wasn't known to be rich.

"You lucky girl! I wish my parents would buy me that!" her friends gushed.

The teens' attention was quickly diverted to someone else. Nana's partner, Harith was also showing off his phone. It wasn't new, but something inside was drawing envy from his classmates.

"Ten thousand diamonds!" Harley exclaimed.

"What?" Zilong frowned, confused for a moment before he realized those were virtual diamonds, used as game currency.

"Wow, how many new heroes can you buy with ten thousand diamonds?"

"Nearly twenty heroes!"

"Can you give me some, please?"

Zilong scoffed under his breath. "I don't get what's so fun about this game. Can't see why so many people are playing it."

For once, Alucard agreed with him. "What kind of stupid name is Mobile Stories Boom Boom, anyway?"

Zilong shrugged, eyes wandering to the teacher's bench looking at the apparatus that had been set up for a demonstration.

"Attention everyone!"

A loud, strident voice cut through the chatter, as the teacher, Miss Kimmy marched into the lab dressed in a denim jacket and camouflage pants, her face framed by cropped silver hair.

Zilong nudged Alucard and whispered. "Do you even know what class we're in?" He rarely saw the blond attending any class other than Biology, but it was likely that Miss Miya had said something to him that made him go for the other lessons. Even then, most of the time he had no idea what was going on.

"Chemistry?"

"Congrats, you're getting smarter," Zilong said sarcastically.

The tomboyish teacher strode down the center aisle between the students. Skipping the small talk, she launched straight into her lesson. "Guess what I have in my pocket?"

"Ooh, what is it?" Harith asked, jumping up and down excitedly. Miss Kimmy never quite followed the syllabus, and her lessons were unpredictable. The class gave her curious looks, but nobody came up with the right answer. She passed by Alucard's bench, and then went back up to the front of the room.

Alucard mumbled something in a low voice, so quietly that Zilong wasn't sure if he'd heard it correctly. It sounded something like, "Gummy Bears."

A few seconds later, Miss Kimmy pulled a transparent packet of red globs out of her camo pants pocket and held it up for everyone to see. "Gummy Bears," she announced.

Zilong quirked a brow at Alucard. "Lucky guess, huh?"

His lab partner shook his head. "Nope. I can smell them."

Zilong raised his brows. "From here? How's that possible?"

"I can smell things that normal people can't," Alucard replied. "Like monsters."

"Yeah… right."

"Let's see what happens when one of these Gummy Bears gets dunked in potassium chlorate," Miss Kimmy said. She went to her bench at the front of the lab and put on her safety glasses. Under the fume hood was an empty test tube clamped to a ring stand and she began heating it over a Bunsen burner. Next, she carefully placed a white tablet into the test tube. The students observed intently from a safe distance as the heated substance turned into boiling liquid.

"Now, watch, " Miss Kimmy said. With a pair of tongs she carefully placed one Gummy Bear into the test tube. At first, the piece of candy refused to slide in, as if resisting its doom. Miss Kimmy used a metal rod and pushed it down into the hot liquid.

A spectacular explosion resulted. Bright purple flames burst out and smoke rushed out of the tube with a high-pitched shrieking sound, as if the sugary bear was screaming bloody murder. Gasps of amazement rose from the onlookers.

"Class, what you have observed is a spontaneous exothermic reaction between a Gummy Bear, which is made up of sugar or sucrose, and molten potassium chlorate. The oxide from the decomposition of potassium chlorate reacted with the glucose molecule in sucrose," Miss Kimmy explained as she wrote the equation on the board.

"Can we do this at home?" Harley asked.

"No, definitely do not try this at home," Miss Kimmy answered sternly. "The chlorine gas released is poisonous, and so this should only be done in a fume cupboard in a lab."

Alucard let out a cough as he sat brooding at his bench, chin propped up with his hands. Miss Kimmy glanced at him and seemed to notice something was wrong. She went over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tapping his arm lightly.

Alucard lifted his head. All the color had drained from his face and he looked very pale. "I think that gas is making me sick."

"Oh? It seems you have a sensitive nose," Miss Kimmy remarked. "I'll take you to the school nurse."

* * *

"Focus guys, focus!" Master Akai shouted to his team of students, who were practicing at the school field for a dragon dance performance for Chinese New Year. "Listen out for the drum beats! Coordinate yourselves and stop getting all tangled up! Teamwork, guys!" He barked, one hand on his hip and the other hand stuffing a piece of barbequed pork into his mouth. It was a wonder how the chubby martial arts coach ate till he was almost bursting at the seams, but could still spin like a ballerina when the occasion called for it.

The dragon costume was long and snakelike, propped up by ten performers holding poles. Zilong carried the dragon's head, while the rest of the body weaved and undulated in a wave pattern, sometimes twisting and turn on itself. The performers had to jump over or through the body's sections and this resulted in them colliding into one another at times. Master Akai made everyone train till they got the timing right.

Meanwhile, the drummer banged the drums as though she was going for war, and another guy clanged the cymbals noisily.

When practice was over, Zilong was so tired his legs could barely hold him up. It was nearly evening, his stomach was rumbling and he couldn't wait to get back home. Master Akai handed everyone bottled drinks. The colourful plastic dragon costume lay in a heap on the ground, and the coach reminded everyone to carry all the props and equipment back to the store room after they'd had their rest.

As Zilong went to get his drink, a deafening _Crash!_ Sounded behind him. Someone had dropped the cymbals on the ground. Zilong spun around to look, and his shoe got caught in the dragon's tail. He stumbled forward, colliding with another student. Instinctively he grabbed the person for support, and amid the confusion he felt his face buried in something soft and cushiony. Jerking his head back, he realized what it was.

Someone's boobs.

"Oh shit," Zilong muttered, his face and ears burning as he let go of the girl and tried to right himself.

The girl was none other than the ferocious drummer. She quickly pushed him away, restoring the distance between them. She was tall, nearly the same height as him, with blue-streaked golden hair that was tied back. Her furrowed brows were a big hint to Zilong to apologize for banging into her chest.

"I'm sorry," he said, fingers raking through his hair. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to… um…"

Tight-lipped, the girl turned and walked off in a huff. She didn't look like she had accepted his apology. After standing like an idiot for a few moments, Zilong uprooted his feet and ran after her. Being a student councillor, he cared a lot about his reputation and didn't want people going around saying he was a creep. And besides, it was going to be awkward performing that dragon dance together if she remained angry with him.

"Hey, er….." As if things weren't embarrassing enough, he didn't even know her name. "Hey Drummer Girl, I'm really sorry about just now."

She spun around. "Don't call me Drummer Girl," she said, her intensely blue eyes flashing.

"What's your name then?"

"Freya."

"Okay, Freya, I'm really – "

"I know you're sorry," she said, waving a hand casually. "You're forgiven."

"Really? That's great." Zilong released the breath he was holding. And then he noticed she was struggling to carry the barrel-shaped wooden drum, which looked really heavy. "Can I help with that?" he offered.

She nodded, and together they lifted the drum and made their way towards the extra-curricular activities block that housed the store room. It was some distance away, and after they'd crossed the field, they spotted someone familiar approaching.

It was Madam Alice, strutting over in a figure-hugging wine dress. "Hello," she greeted the two pleasantly. "Working hard for your performance, I see."

"Hello, Madam Alice," Freya said, still lugging the drum together with Zilong, and slowing her footsteps a little.

The teacher walked alongside them. Her face looked smooth and wrinkle-free, with soft plump lips and elegant high cheekbones. She looked like someone in her twenties although she was supposed to be twice that age. Right now, her attention was on Freya, violet eyes gleaming as her gaze traveled up and down the girl's figure. Her short skirt made her long, toned legs seem endless. "Oh, Freya, would you like to join our cheerleading team? You look fit enough."

Freya's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, I would love to," she said.

"Good," Madam Alice nodded. "As you know, we take in only the best."

Freya beamed. "Thank you." It was the first time Zilong had seen her smile, and suddenly she didn't seem as fierce as before.

"Oh, and by the way," Madam Alice continued. "I'm having a party in a month's time. And you're invited."

"A party?" Freya's eyes widened. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, this is not the first time I'm having one," Madam Alice explained, the rings on her fingers sparkling as she gestured. "I had one at the end of last year, and the guests were all specially selected. This one's going to be a Valentine's Day party." Her eyes slid slyly towards Zilong. "You can bring along your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Freya quickly clarified. They had reached the outside of the school building and put down the drum to take a rest before entering.

"Oh, you have to bring along a date," Madam Alice insisted. "The more, the merrier."

"But I don't have a date."

Madam Alice nodded again at Zilong with a wink. "What's your name?"

"Zilong."

"Why don't you go with her, then, Zilong?"

"Err…" he hesitated. He wasn't really keen on parties, and strangely, although he was quite popular with girls, he had no idea what to do as someone's date. But then again, it would be rude to reject Madam Alice's invitation. He hazarded a glance at Freya. She wasn't protesting at the suggestion, but she wasn't bouncing with enthusiasm either. "Okay," he shrugged.

"Fantastic," Madam Alice flashed a dazzling smile baring pearly teeth framed by blood-red lips. "There will be contests, lucky draws and attractive prizes to be won."

"I see," Zilong said. He wondered who else was invited, and how many people were going to be there.

"But, do take note that this party is exclusive, so don't tell others about it," reminded Madam Alice. "Now, please let me have your phone numbers so I can text you my address."

Freya was the first to take out her phone, and the three exchanged numbers. Madam Alice left, and the two entered the storeroom and put away their equipment. They bid each other goodbye. Freya went off to get her bike, and Zilong made his way towards the school gate.

Everything had happened so quickly, it hadn't quite registered that he was going to a party with someone he barely knew. As Zilong walked, he wondered whether he was supposed to text Freya first, or wait. A hand tapped his shoulder, making him spring up like a rabbit. It was none other than his blond friend, who had the habit of hiding in the bushes and jumping out at people. Zilong never got used to it.

"Fuck, Alu, Don't scare me like that."

Alucard's eyes blazed like an inferno. "I saw her, and I heard what she'd said."

"What the heck?" Zilong said, and then it dawned on him that Alucard had been hiding somewhere and listening on his conversation with Freya and Madam Alice. "You've been stalking us? Seriously. You need help. Or did that chlorine gas make you bonkers?"

Alucard mused for a moment, and seemed to remember something. "By the way, just now when I was at the sick bay, guess who I saw?"

Zilong gave him a blank look.

"Nana and Harith."

"So what's up with them?"

"I don't know," Alucard said. "But now I'm starting to wonder how those two got their new toys."

"You mean, Nana's phone and the game diamonds?"

"Yeah, how did they get all that money?"

"I don't know…" Zilong mused. "Why, are you sore that you can't afford them?"

Alucard shook his head. "You're missing the point. Clearly, there's something wrong going on here."

"Are you coming up with your wild ideas again?" Zilong asked. Alucard, however, was used to people not believing him. Since he was little, he'd been insisting that the killers of his parents were demons. The police didn't believe him, of course.

"You know what? I'm going to that party of hers," Alucard clenched his fists.

"But you aren't invited."

"I'm going to crash it. Give me the address."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I am serious. Give me the address or I'll tell Freya you're going out with Fanny."

"No!" Zilong blurted out, and then wondered why he was so agitated. Brining his voice down to a normal volume, he said, "I mean, that's not even true."

"Ha ha, it's so obvious, you can't wait to get into her pants," Alucard smirked.

Turning beetroot red again, Zilong quickly shot back. "Miss Miya will probably be at the party and she's not going to be impressed by your antics."

"All the more reason to crash the party. I have to protect her from that creepy woman," Alucard said in a serious tone.

* * *

(End of Chapter 3)

Characters:

Zilong

Alucard

Kimmy

Nana

Harith

Harley

Akai

Freya

Alice


End file.
